Food safety at Christmas

It’s that time of the year again, the beginning of the silly season – people are full of non-stop Christmas cheer and of course, the endless office dinner parties that will consume every one of your weekends right up until Christmas Day.

So in the midst of all the festive fun, it’s important that you remain savvy when it comes to eating out. As you and I both know – right through from now until the New Year, you’ll be dining out with friends, family and work colleagues, in places you’ve never eaten in before. But the question has to be asked, do you or your friends know the hygiene rating of the restaurant, café or bar?

It may seem trivial and some might call me scrooge but you won’t regret checking – after all, the Food Hygiene Rating shows how seriously a business takes their food hygiene. If it’s low or not displayed, then you should really question eating there.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme gives us the peace of mind, that if we choose businesses with a good hygiene rating, we should avoid food poisoning, vomiting, diarrhoea…and the list goes on. Why leave it to chance?

So if you don’t know what the food hygiene ratings mean; it’s worth educating yourself. This video will explain just how food businesses get rated:

It’s worth noting that around 4 in 10 food businesses in Northern Ireland don’t display their Food Hygiene Rating so you’ll have to do some of the legwork yourself. It only takes a couple of clicks to find all the ratings on the FSA’s website: food.gov.uk/ratings

So this Christmas make sure you look before you book and remember to have fun but be wise when it comes to food!

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

For further information on the FSA visit: food.gov.uk/northernireland or join their conversations on facebook.com/FSAinNI and Twitter @FSAinNI.
ENDS